By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, February 25, 2017

 

Auckland champion Jack Sock defeated Donald Young, 6-4, 7-6 (2), to reach his second final of the season in Delray Beach.

Photo credit: @DelrayBeachOpen

The top-ranked American man had the last word on his first strike storming into his second final of the year.

In an all-American semifinal, Jack Sock won seven straight points in the tie break defeating Donald Young, 6-4, 7-6 (2), to advance to the Delray Beach Open final.

Watch: Federer And Murray Play Beach Ball

Sock, who opened the season winning his second career title in Auckland, raised his record to 11-1 on the season.

The third-seeded Sock will take on top-seeded Milos Raonic in tomorrow's 3 p.m. final.

Wimbledon runner-up Raonic fired 17 aces and saved a set point in the second-set tie break warding off Juan Martin del Potro, 6-3, 7-6 (6). Raonic hammered an ace on match point.

The fourth-ranked Raonic has won eight of 10 meetings with Sock, though Sock prevailed 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8) in their last meeting at the Shanghai Masters last fall. 

Bidding to reach his second Delray Beach final in the last three years, Young was often handcuffed by the jump on Sock’s jolting kick serve.

Though Sock served just 48 percent, he was nearly untouchable on first serve winning 27 of 31 first-serve points and facing only one break point.

Though Young had defused massive-serving Americans Reilly Opelka and John Isner en route to the Memphis semifinals last week and dispatched second-seeded Ivo Karlovic in his Delray Beach opener, the wicked high-bounding spin off Sock’s serve was difficult to decipher.

Dominant on serve, Sock broke twice to take the opener.

Young’s best shot to break came at 30-all in the fourth game. On a Sock approach, Young held his ground on the deuce side and had a clear look at a backhand pass, but netted the shot groaning at the lost opportunity.

In the seventh game Young slipped a break point thanks to a net-cord shot that plopped over on Sock’s side. The left-hander worked through a deuce hold for 4-3.

Taking to net, Sock persevered through his most challenging service game holding for 5-all.

The 69th-ranked Young carried a 7-1 tiebreak record into today’s extra session. When Young hit a flashy forehand down the line for 2-0, it looked like he could push the match to three sets.

Sock had other ideas. Attacking net, Sock pushed a forehand volley into the corner.

That shot sparked a run of seven straight points as Sock closed in 92 minutes raising his 2017 record against compatriots to 4-0.